


Andale

by MercenaryZero



Category: Fallout 3
Genre: Blood, Gen, Gore, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 07:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14689464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercenaryZero/pseuds/MercenaryZero
Summary: Pre-Fallout 4 anecdote.A group of friends find themselves in trouble when they wander far from home and end up in Andale.





	Andale

Every day at exactly 5:40 in the afternoon Crazy Wolfgang would stop at Megaton’s doors to sell or buy whatever wares he could from people going in and out of Megaton. That particular afternoon he groaned as he approached Megaton and saw a group of teenagers waiting by the entrance, this was going to be a problem. As the merchant walked on Trevor smiled and then looked to his right side to see his younger brother Colin, Jelani, Latoya and Jade standing by. He confidently walked past Deputy Weld but not before harshly slapping the robot on the back of its head prompting it to activate one of its recorded messages.

 

“Welcome to Megaton, friendliest town around.”

 

Jelani and Colin laughed a bit but Latoya and Jade just shook their heads. Latoya particularly hated when people messed with the robot. Sure, its communication skills were limited to the pre-recorded messages and it had the personality of a toaster but she still found the robot somewhat charming and friendly. Jade wasn't exactly fond of Trevor but Latoya was friends with him and Jade followed Latoya wherever she was for the same reason Jelani followed Trevor around and pretty much did what he told him to do. This often landed Jelani in hot water.

 

“Wolfgang!” Trevor greeted the merchant as he walked closer to him. “How the hell are ya?”

 

“Now, Trevor, Simms made it clear not to sell you anything.” Wolfgang said as he raised both hands up as a sign of defeat while taking a step back.

 

“C’mon, Wolfgang, you know I’m good for the caps.”

 

“Kid, it's not about the caps. You set fire to that shed and Simms almost--”

 

“But Simms ain't here, is he?” Jelani said as he stood next to Trevor. He tilted his head sideways and looked at the merchant dead in the eye as he continued, “Figure we have about two minutes before anybody walks out through the main doors and sees you selling your stuff to Trevor. Caps are caps after all. Unless those dullards over at Arefu have been giving you more caps than you can get here at Megaton.”

 

“Fine. What are you looking for, Trev?” The promise of guaranteed caps always won.

 

“Got any full flip lighters and tape?”

 

“Yeah.” Wolfgang reluctantly answered. He didn't want to imagine what sort of mischief Trevor was up to with a combination of items such as that. Still, he searched the bags on his brahmin and retrieved the two items and handed them to Jelani instead of Trevor. Trevor handed him the caps while an arrogant smile formed on his face, the same smile he often displayed when he got his way.

 

“Go on, get outta here.” Wolfgang told the two teenagers as he set his brahmin up to wait for more people.

 

Trevor turned and walked back to where the girls and his brother were waiting but before they reached the others Trevor turned to Jelani and said, “Nice job, Haakonson. For real.”

 

Jelani didn't say anything he simply smiled as he lowered his gaze as to avoid Trevor seeing him smile. He was sure he would be able to talk his way into getting Wolfgang to sell Trevor what he was looking for so in order to gain favor with Trevor and admittedly show off at the same time he’d gone down to Trevor and Wolfgang despite Trevor telling the group not to move. Once they reached the others at the entrance Colin ran to his brother and jumped joyfully when he saw Trevor had what they needed. So far only Trevor and Colin knew what the plan was so now that they had all the materials they needed they let the others in on their plan for a little bit of fun.

 

“So we came across some cherry bombs, don't ask how, and we thought it’d be a good idea to try ‘em out.”

 

“Oh, my god. Are you serious?” Jade exclaimed as she looked to Latoya in the hopes that she would pass on Trevor’s suggested plan. Latoya on the other hand didn't seem enthusiastic but didn’t condemn the idea and merely shrugged.

 

“Figured we could find ourselves some radroaches and mole rats, tape up a bomb to ‘em and watch ‘em blow the fuck up.”

 

“But there aren't any mole rats around here.” Jelani interjected as he slowly realized that Trevor was going to suggest going out of Megaton.

 

“So? We look for them.”

 

“You know I can't go out there.” Jelani said as he pointed away from Megaton to make his point clearer to Trevor though he was certain Trevor wouldn't have cared.

 

“Here we go again with that same ol’ bullshit.” Trevor threw his arms up as he groaned loudly clearly making his displeasure known. He quickly turned back to face Jelani and continued. “Look, bro, Loke is gonna be gone till tomorrow, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“We're only going just a _little_ bit away from Megaton--we’ll be back before your brother gets back home. He’ll never know we were gone. Trust me.”

 

“You know, the last time you told me to trust you I was grounded for two weeks.” Jelani bitterly recalled.

 

“Tch, you still hung up on that? C’mon, man, look that was my bad. Won't happen again.”

 

“You told me that a month ago when you told me to hack Weld and I was grounded for a week!”

 

“Look, Trevor, if he doesn't wanna go then just drop it, okay?” Jade intervened.

 

“Tch, shut the fuck up, bitch! Haakonson is 12-years-old, he’s practically a man. Come on, you wanna, dontcha?” Trevor asked as he stepped closer to Jelani and looked at him straight in the eye while giving him a half smile.

 

Honestly he did want to go. He wanted to go anywhere Trevor told him to go. He wanted to do anything Trevor told him to do if only it was to get him to notice him the same way he noticed him, even if it meant doing something he didn’t want to do like disobeying his brother. Jelani sighed as he turned to look beyond the small hills in front of Megaton and then looked to Trevor. Even if Jelani knew full well that Trevor was manipulating him into doing what he wanted by standing so close to him and exaggerating his status as an adult at such a young age he still couldn't help but agree with him.

 

“Ja, I do.”

 

“Yes! Come on, bro. We’ll be back before you know it. Blow up a couple of rodents, have a good laugh and then go home. Easy.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Jelani muttered as he followed the group. After setting foot over the line Loke had forbidden him from crossing he looked back at Deputy Weld. Maybe it was remorse making him see things but it looked like the Protectron was looking at him with an alarmed look on its face and something in Jelani told him to turn around and go home. Perhaps he should have. Most of the time Jelani was well behaved and did everything his brother told him. The times he ever got in trouble were because of Trevor and every single time Trevor left him behind to take the fall. If they were to get in trouble for leaving Megaton, which, he was sure they were he was positive that Trevor would leave him on his own again.

 

“Hey, c’mon.”

 

It was Trevor. He’d gone back to get Jelani. He grabbed his hand and slowly pulled him towards the front of the group. Jelani’s doubts and worries instantly melted away when he looked down to see Trevor holding his hand. As soon as he felt his cheeks starting to burn he bit his lower lip to stop himself from smiling. Once they got to the front Trevor put his arm over Jelani’s shoulders and whispered something to him while looking back at Jade.

 

Jade noticed but stayed quiet as she looked back at him with an expressionless look on her face. She hated going anywhere with him or even doing any activity with him. He was manipulative, didn't care who he got into trouble and felt no remorse for any of his wrongs. Not to mention that she found his attention to Jelani a bit creepy. Jelani was twelve and Trevor would be sixteen in about four months. The way he always looked at him and stood so close to him unnerved her. She was sure it wasn't love, as far as she was concerned Trevor didn't give a damn about anyone, she knew he was manipulating him and was using the fact that Jelani had a crush on him to get him to do whatever he wanted. How did he find out about him being Jelani’s crush? Most likely Colin. She was hoping to get a chance to talk to Jelani, to try and open his eyes to the fact that Trevor was just using him before he got hurt. Hell, she was hoping to talk Latoya into not hanging around Trevor anymore. But the truth was there weren't that many kids around and those that were had age gaps that made their interactions somewhat odd as they shared no interests with each other.

 

Trevor led the group towards the south side of Megaton. He was sure none of them would notice but Jelani and Jade did. None of them really knew what was to the south, they could've been walking into radscorpion nests for all they knew but so far everything was clear. No raiders, no radscorpions, no ferals, not even mole rats or roaches.

 

They kept walking while Jelani kept track of the route and the time spent out. He wasn't aware of it but everything he’d been taught and trained for had kicked in the second he stepped away from Megaton. Since he was up at the front he got a clear view of the scenery. There were no tracks on the ground, the dead tree stumps in the area hadn't been shredded by massive claws, the soil looked undisturbed, there were no spent shell casings, and no blood splatter of any kind either. It was reassuring but also unsettling. Jelani looked back towards the direction they came from, Megaton was still visible. If he wanted to he could've turned around and headed back home. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that grew with each step he took and for a second he considered turning around and going back home. Obviously he'd do so without telling anyone since he knew Trevor would force him to stay and Jelani also knew he'd cave in and stay.

 

“Oh, finally!” Trevor yelled out as he stopped and reached into his pocket while looking straight ahead.

 

Several feet from the group was a small mole rat. Seemed small enough to be a baby and while most of the group was overjoyed Jade was concerned. If that really was a baby mole rat then the mother would be nearby and she knew mole rats tend to travel in packs, but before she could object to the idea of blowing the creature up Colin had taken off after the rodent while Trevor cheered on. In absolute defeat she shook her head and ran after them, she was already far from Megaton and travelling back alone would've been foolish.

 

“Get it, Colin!”

 

Colin pounced on the mole rat and rolled a few feet forward as he tried to restrain the struggling creature. Trevor quickly ran to Colin’s side as he taped the cherry bomb to the animal. With the animal squirming and clawing Trevor did a sloppy job and had taken longer than he and the others had expected so he doubled the amount of tape on it. Once he was done he yelled at Colin to light the cherry bomb which he did and as soon as the fuse was lit Trevor tossed the rodent as far away as he could.

 

The mole rat landed with a hard thud against the ground but it quickly stood up, hissed at the kids and ran away, most likely back to its nest. It didn't get too far though; the cherry bomb went off exploding part of the creature’s side and exposing flesh, bone and innards. Trevor and the others looked on in horror as the mole rat wildly twitched and groaned while dragging itself away with one of its uninjured front paws. As it dragged itself part of its stomach and intestines fell out of the wound as a pool of blood accumulated underneath it. Every time the creature managed to drag itself it made a distinctive cry that sounded like a call for help. The image was agonizing to see but Jelani knew it was ten times worse for the creature. He kept looking at it and frowned, it was a living creature, they just tortured a living creature that was in an unimaginable amount of pain that doubled with every move it made.

 

“Trevor, what the fuck?!” Jade called out as she looked at the animal while covering her mouth with her hands.

 

“I thought you said it was supposed to instantly kill them.” Colin said as he hid behind his brother to avoid looking at the injured mole rat.

 

“It's okay, buddy.” Trevor quickly kneeled down to look at his younger brother. He placed his hands on his shoulders and in a hushed tone said, “That was my fault, okay? We’ll get it right next time.”

 

Jelani had seen enough of the poor animal suffering. He walked over to where it was, knelt down beside it andp while whispering at it he patted it on the head. With his other hand he reached around to his back and retrieved a combat knife he kept hidden. While making sure none of the others could see he sunk the blade into the animal’s neck severing the spine and instantly killing it. He immediately regretted leaving Megaton; he foolishly thought that the small bombs would kill the rodents without them feeling anything. He was never fond of the creatures but what he had just seen was completely unnecessary and cruel and he was not about to endure several more mole rats writhing in pain just for Trevor’s amusement.

 

After the mole rat was dead Jelani put the weapon away and walked towards the group. He shoved Trevor back and exclaimed in a huff, “What the hell did you do that for?!”

 

“Calm down, Haakonson!” Trevor yelled as he pushed Jelani back, “I didn't know that was gonna happen!”

 

“Whatever. I’m going home.”

 

“Don't you “vhatever” me, you little shit!”

 

“Don't fucking do that, Trev, I _hate_ it when you do that!” Jelani yelled as he stared and pointed at Trevor. Every time Jelani would disagree with Trevor he’d always mock him by badly imitating his accent. He was sure it was Trevor who got the rest of the older teenagers to mock him for his accent over an argument they’d had about three years ago, Trevor had asked Jelani to break into one of the houses. When Jelani refused Trevor went on and on naming all the times he’d done favors for Jelani. Supposedly the owner of the house had taken some caps from Colin and Trevor wanted to steal them back but his story didn't add up to Jelani so he continued to refuse until Trevor’s patience ran out. After that argument the older teenagers would mock Jelani’s accent and the way he pronounced certain words in English and even three years later it still hadn't died down.

 

“I’m going back with you, Jela.” Jade exclaimed as she stood up between them to avoid the situation from escalating.

 

“Fine! Go the fuck back home!”

 

Latoya thought better of the situation and decided to join Jelani and Jade in going back to Megaton. The three of them were concerned for Colin who looked like he wanted to go home but they knew he’d never leave Trevor’s side. All they could do was hope that Trevor would think of his younger brother and would go with them to head back home but that was hoping for too much.

 

Unfortunately for them as they walked back the way they came a large herd of mole rats suddenly burst from the ground. Their teeth were bare, they were snarling and hissing and ready to attack. This was most likely the blown up mole rat pup’s pack looking to get rid of the intruders in their territory.

 

Jelani quickly remembered the knife he had on him but there were too many and he’d be easily overwhelmed by them. The only thing he thought of was to run away so he reached out, grabbed a hold of Jade, turned around and began to run away from the mole rats. As usual Trevor and Colin had gotten a head start on them. Trevor would've left them out as bait while he and Colin got away to safety.

 

Latoya looked back and saw the pack still on their tail so she yelled for them to keep running. Jelani was behind Latoya and Abigail to make sure neither of them fell behind or tripped but as he kept an eye on them he failed to see the mole rat hole in front of him. As soon as he hit the ground one of the mole rats caught up to him and bit down as hard as it could on his calf. As he yelled out he turned around and kicked the mole rat off of him but several more surrounded him, they bit down on his clothes while one pulled on his hair. Latoya and Jade turned around to help him. Jade helped Jelani get back up on his feet while Latoya swatted the rodents away with a massive rock she found. Once Latoya saw that Jade and Jelani had gotten a few feet away she tossed the rock at one of the mole rats and ran as fast as she could.

 

The bite on Jelani’s leg bled profusely and hurt every time he put any weight on it but when he turned to see the mole rats catching up he tried to ignore the pain and ran as fast as he could. Further ahead the three of them saw Trevor and Colin standing on some massive rocks while lifting some heavy rocks. As the three of them ran past the two siblings both of them quickly tossed the rocks below them and critically injured several of the creatures while blocking the way for the rest. Once Trevor saw the pack of rodents stopped he yelled for Colin to follow Jelani as Trevor ran right behind him.

 

The group ran as fast as they could and as fear and adrenaline enveloped them they didn't notice just how far away from Megaton they'd gotten or when the pack of angry mole rats stopped chasing them. In the distance Trevor noticed an old and beaten down gas station and ran towards it and so did the others.

 

Once they reached the old station Trevor collapsed while the others leaned on whatever was near them to catch their breath. Jelani looked around as he slowed down his breathing, yet another bit of knowledge he had his brother and parents to thank for.

 

“Where are we?” Colin asked as he stood near his brother.

 

“Andale.” Jade answered as she looked around.

 

The rest of the group looked on in horror. While Andale was far from Megaton news of the place reached the walled city. The first time anyone in Megaton heard of Andale was from one of the caravans that stopped by for some food and drink, apparently someone had discovered a family of inbred cannibals living there. That same person had killed the family which left Andale unoccupied. After that a strange group settled there but left, shortly after they left it was said that feral ghouls made a home of the location but just as they suddenly appeared they disappeared. As far as the group was concerned Andale stood silent and unoccupied once again though there was no way to really be sure.

 

Jelani looked back and sighed, it was getting dark and wandering through the dark was the worst decision they could make at the moment. At least he knew he was in Andale which was to the south of Megaton. As soon as it got bright again he’d trek back to Megaton with whoever wanted to go with him. If he had to he’d go alone but he preferred if at least one more person would go with him. One of the things his brother taught him was that wandering around alone was a sure way to get yourself killed out there in the open. He then turned to the buildings behind the old gas station. Jade and Latoya followed him. Colin saw them making their way towards one of the houses and went with them. He loved his brother more than anything else in the world and knew Trevor would always take care of him but Trevor wasn't exactly the type you ran to when the situation turned dire. Trevor noticed Colin following the others so he did too.

 

The house Jelani stopped in seemed to be in good condition, in fact, he was surprised at the building’s exterior. As he stood on the porch he reached for the doorknob but as he got closer he suddenly pulled his hand back. He recalled his brother mentioning several traps that you could make with everyday items that could stop attackers or intruders from going further into your home. He looked to his right and saw a window which he used to look inside the house, it was hard to see but as far as he could tell the door wasn't rigged with a trap or an explosive so he slowly turned the doorknob and was pleasantly surprised to see it was unlocked. Before he stepped in he turned to Trevor and asked for the flip lighter which Trevor gave to him without complaining. It caught Jelani and Jade by surprise but they didn't give it much thought.

 

Jelani took point and searched for any signs of recent activity in the house. First place he went to was the kitchen, there was a beaten down old fridge and when he opened it a single glass bottle rolled and fell to the floor. The empty fridge was a good sign. The rest of the kitchen and dining room looked in complete disarray, dining table was up against the wall and several of the wooden chairs were broken and thrown all over. What caught Jelani’s attention were several crimson spots on the floor where the table once stood. It was blood, dried into the old tiles long ago. The survey of the house continued as Jelani went up to the second floor to search the bedrooms, again the group followed him though he was grateful they remained quiet. Everything seemed to be untouched which was another good sign. Before leaving to check the other areas Jelani opened a window in what he guessed was a baby’s room once upon a time to see the rest of the houses. Just below the window he saw a shed that still stood, if anything else it proved to be a good way out in case the front door was blocked. As he looked on he saw most buildings were so dilapidated that they looked like they would topple over at any second, not to mention that many of them had a few walls that were missing or were flat on the floor. For now the house they were in seemed to be their only choice so Jelani walked back down to the living room.

 

“Well,” Jelani said as he gave the living room a once over to make sure he hadn't missed anything, “Looks like we're spending the night here. We should barricade the front door and sleep in the same area.”

 

“I’m on the door.” Latoya said as she went into the kitchen and came out with one of the wooden chairs. She pinned the chair under the doorknob and rattled the chair to test it. It wasn't exactly well put but it got the job done. She turned to Jelani as soon as she finished and after he smiled at her he nodded in approval.

 

“I’m hungry, Trev.” Colin tugged at Trevor’s shirt which prompted him to look at his younger sibling. The doleful look on his face made Trevor frown as he had nothing on him, not even some water to give him. Trevor then turned to the group but they just shrugged, no one had brought anything to eat with them.

 

“I’m sorry, buddy. We’ll just have to hold out till we get back home.”

 

Jelani felt bad for the kid but mostly he felt disappointed in himself. Yet another rule that Loke tried to ingrain in him was to always have some food and water on him when going out. Even if it was to go right outside the city Loke always told him to bring anything edible and preferably purified water. It's true that he wasn't aware about Trevor's plans but with even more reason Jelani should've been more prepared. No one was ever sure of what would happen outside the safety of their home so being prepared for anything to happen at any moment was something Loke wanted to force on Jelani. He foolishly thought about going out to look for something Colin could eat but didn't act upon it. He would've used the excuse that Colin was just an 8-year-old kid but really his intentions were to impress Trevor and gain favor with him as he did back in Megaton with Wolfgang. Logic and training soon set in, the sun had just set and the chances of dying out in the Wasteland after sunset tripled.

 

“Don't worry, Colin, we'll be outta here at daybreak and we’ll be home before you know it.” Jelani reassured Colin. He looked up to see Trevor smiling at him and for just one moment he felt a tinge of guilt but at the same time felt accomplished that he managed to get Trevor to smile at him.

 

After an hour of arguing about having to sleep in a group in the same room Jelani finally convinced them all that it was best to be in the same room in case they needed to leave as fast as possible. Though resented the group finally made their peace with Jelani’s decision and after two hours they were all asleep. Latoya had placed herself on the rundown sofa; she offered Jade a spot next to her so she could be comfortable as well and Jade took the opportunity without question. As she grew tired she noticed Jelani smiling at her, Jade kept her affections a secret from everyone except for Jelani who she trusted. Trevor sat on a loveseat, the old matted and once red felt gave off an odd smell but he eventually ignored it. Colin lay across the seat and rested his head on Trevor’s lap and quickly fell asleep. Jelani sat on a chair facing the door. He almost laughed. His parents and older brother kept the house with each piece of furniture facing the main entrance to the house that way wherever they sat they could see anyone or anything entering the house. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't sleepy but it was good to have at least one person awake in case they needed to run to safety. He knew no one else would stay awake long enough to keep watch and Jelani preferred to do things himself that way he could control the situation. He was always told he was a control freak but it didn't matter to him.

 

“You're not sleepy?”

 

Jelani looked to his side to see Trevor sitting still while staring at him with half-closed eyes and meekly smiling at him.

 

“No.” Obviously it was a lie.

 

“You gon’ watch the door all night?”

 

“Well, ja, somebody has to.”

 

Trevor laughed quietly and said, “All that training your parents taught you guys seems to have paid off. At least you have someone that loves you and takes care of you. Kind of a bit jealous of you, loving parents when they were alive and now a loving older brother.”

 

For as long as Jelani had known Trevor he had never seen him be as honest as he currently was. Trevor and Colin’s father had gotten sick with radiation poisoning when Trevor was Colin’s age leaving them with their mother who was distant and cold. She was known to be emotionless and stern even before her husband died. She wasn't abusive in any way but once, long ago, under the influence of some beer stolen from Moriarty’s Trevor confessed to Jelani that their mother never told them that she loved them. That's when Trevor told Jelani that he constantly hugged his younger brother, paid so much attention to him, and told him that he loved him every chance he could. He didn't resent his mother, they had food, clothes and a bed and for that he was grateful but the lack of a connection between them and their mother left something to be desired.

 

With no real answer to give Trevor after what he said Jelani just nodded and lowered his gaze. At the mention of his brother he felt guilty. Loke trusted him to do the right thing and he disobeyed him all for the approval of someone else.

 

“I know something about you.” Trevor said in a sing-song voice breaking Jelani’s train of thought.

 

“What?” Jelani asked. He felt fear at the uncertainty of Trevor’s vague comment but remained calm.

 

“I know you like me.”

 

“Says who?”

 

“Colin told me. Bro, there ain’t _nothing_ Colin can't find out that eventually I’ll know. So is it true?”

 

Jelani cursed inwardly as he closed his eyes and looked away for a minute. Yes, it was true, he did like Trevor. He’d spent the last three years of his life pining after him, doing what he wanted despite knowing that he’d end up in trouble for it, wishing every night for enough courage to tell him that he wanted nothing more than to kiss him but he never did. Mostly because he was afraid Trevor would reject him and he’d end up as the butt of his jokes as most people ended up as. However, there was a part of him that encouraged him to tell Trevor the truth, especially now that he seemed to know. He turned back to Trevor and with a serious expression and tone said, “Yeah, I do.”

 

“Tch, I knew it.” Trevor chuckled. He carefully lifted his brother’s head and once he stood up he slowly lowered his head on the seat and walked over to Jelani. He crouched next to Jelani while resting his arms on the seat and smiled.

 

“So you're not mad?”

 

Trevor was about to answer but he remained silent. He leaned forward and gently pecked at Jelani's lips and whispered, “If we get out of this alive…”

 

There was no need to continue the sentence. Jelani nodded as he tried his hardest to contain his smile but try as he might a massive smile forced itself on his face when he backed away from Trevor. Trevor on the other hand made his way back to his seat. He wasn't exactly sleepy but knew they'd need the energy for the next day, once he settled down and got as comfortable as he could he smiled at Jelani once more and slowly drifted off to sleep. Try as he might to stay awake sleep overcame Jelani and soon fell asleep.

 

“Wake up, wake up.” Colin whispered as he shook Jelani awake.

 

“Hey...stop it.” Jelani swatted Colin away and turned to his side to continue sleeping.

 

“Shhh,” Colin shook Jelani while looking around to make sure the rest of the group was asleep, “I need to show you something.”

 

“Colin, what the fuck are you doin’?”  Jelani asked as he grabbed Colin’s arm and pushed him away.

 

Colin motioned for Jelani to follow him and despite his annoyance at having been woken up he followed him. Colin led him up the stairs and into the master bedroom, once there he crouched beside the northern window and called Jelani over. Jelani, who stood by the door, walked towards Colin and crouched as well.

 

“Look.”

 

About five houses away from the one they were squatting in four raiders were making their way towards them. Jelani could just barely make out the weapons they were carrying but they seemed to be well armed. He quickly hid and looked towards Colin who seemed far too relaxed. He went over the house and remembered there was a broken down door in the kitchen that led to the backyard. If they could make it out of the house quickly and quietly they could head south towards Megaton.

 

“Okay, here's what we're gonna do: we'll head out the back and use the rest of the buildings as cover and head south. We have to move _very_ quietly but as fast as we can.”

 

Colin nodded and began to make his way downstairs with Jelani right behind him. Both were careful to avoid any noises and moved quickly but just as they were halfway down the stairs they heard the front door slam and Trevor cursing out loud while Jade and Latoya woke up startled and frantically looked around.

 

“We gotta get the fuck outta here!”

 

“No!” Jelani whispered as he tried to calm the group. “Nei! Everybody, stay calm.”

 

“Are you crazy? There's raiders out there!” Trevor whispered back.

 

“I know--”

 

“Come ooouuut. We know you're in there, kid.” One of the raiders taunted as he banged on the door as hard as he could. So far they thought it was just Trevor that was in the house so Jelani used it to his advantage.

 

“Okay, they think it's just Trev so I’ll go out the back door and run to get their attention. Keep an eye out and count to five as soon as they start chasing after me. Run as fast as you can.”

 

“No, no way, we're not leaving you behind.” Trevor protested much to everyone’s surprise. They all expected Trevor to be the first to agree to such a plan though admittedly Jelani was pleasantly taken aback he refused to leave him.

 

“If we don't do something we'll _all_ die. I can outrun them.”

 

“That's too dangerous. I’ll do it.”

 

“No offense, Trev, but you'll likely run in a straight line through the open road giving them a clear shot at your back.”

 

Trevor grabbed Jelani by the shirt and pulled him closer to him as he snarled, “I said _no_.”

 

“That door won't hold forever and you have Colin with you. He needs you!”

 

Before Trevor or anyone else could object to his proposed idea Jelani stood up and ran towards the door in the back. He opened the door loudly and ran in the direction the raiders had walked from and successfully got their attention. Trevor and the others remained frozen right where they were as they watched the back door slowly move with the wind. They were shocked at the realization of their current situation but even more at the fact that Jelani ran out there as bait so they could get away.

 

“We have to go.” Latoya gasped as she stared at the door.

 

“A’ight, everybody get outside and run. Don't stop till we get home!”

 

Trevor waited until everyone left the house and then ran after them to keep an eye on them. They all felt shame and worry the further they got from Andale, but what else could a group of kids do against armed raiders? The most they could do was reach Megaton, grab Simms and return to Andale and hope Jelani was alright. Still Trevor inexplicably felt the need to go back, leaving Jelani behind felt worse than anything he had recently done and he knew that if something would happen to him he’d never be able to live with it. Up till that point all of his mischievous stunts only landed them in hot water with their parents and Simms but this time it seemed that Trevor’s brilliant idea would get one of them killed. If things went as bad as he was dreading he'd have to look Loke in the eye and explain to him why his younger brother was dead and would then have to see Loke crumble into pieces and Trevor was _not_ prepared for that.

 

“Latoya!” He called out between heavy breaths, “Get Colin home safely. Get Simms and your mom. I’m going back for Haakonson!”

 

“No!” Colin yelled but Latoya picked up the boy and continued to run towards Megaton.

 

Fighting every instinct to run back to Colin when he heard the despair in his younger brother’s voice felt unnatural and exhausting but he had to go back. For once in his life he wasn't going to let anyone else fall because of him. Unfortunately he didn't get very far, one of the raiders had stayed behind and followed closely behind them. Trevor raised his hands up as the raider aimed a rifle at the teenager. He looked behind him and saw Jade and Latoya still running and while he felt regret at not staying with them he knew he could buy them some time to get away.

 

“Call them back.” The raider commanded with a raspy deep voice.

 

“No.” Trevor said in a defiant tone and slowly lowered his hands. He figured if he was going to go down at least he’d go down fighting and knowing that Colin was safe.

 

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty. I know you're here.” The raider’s gruff voice taunted as the three of them carefully looked around. Jelani had given them the slip and hid inside one of the more broken down houses.

 

With his back to the only standing wall he covered his mouth to muffle his heavy breathing. The panic was almost choking him but he tried to remain calm. Panic often led to mistakes and mistakes led to death so he tried to slow his breathing and analyzed the situation he was in. Jelani figured it would take the others about twenty minutes to reach Megaton, five more to find Simms, explain what was happening and twenty more minutes for Simms and whoever else would go with him to reach Andale. All Jelani had to do was evade the raiders until then and while it was not the greatest plan in the world it was the only thing he could do. The area around Andale was bare of structures or large debris so making a run for it would leave him open to the raiders finding him and nothing would stop them from shooting him in the leg to keep him from running so the only option for him was a deadly version of hide and seek. Not to mention that the mole rat bite from the day before was starting to hurt again, he maybe had two miles in him before the pain could take him. Running was not an option.

 

Jelani peaked through a broken window to get a better look at what he was dealing with. The raiders were armed with rifles, the standard you could find nearly anywhere in the Wasteland. The weapons seemed bare so no mods were likely made to them, in that case the clips contained twenty-five bullets each, and they didn't look to be in the best condition so it would be likely that they would lock up when firing once maybe twice per magazine. The raiders themselves weren't exactly sporting the best armors, raiders seldom did, yet they were a step above him who had no type of armor at all. They didn't seem to be carrying anything else with them, he looked at the usual places a person would have an extra pistol or blade but saw nothing on any of them. For a split second he even toyed with the idea of disarming them but by the time he would fight off the rifle off of one of them the other two would likely shoot him down. Even if he and Loke practiced disarming from each other different types of weapons every single day he knew he wasn't as strong as a full grown adult and he was outnumbered.

 

“Come on out, kitten, we ain't gonna hurtcha!”

 

_“Yeah, right.”_ Jelani thought to himself. He watched as they walked past the house he was hiding in and walked down the dirt road, he assumed they'd be circling the area to look for him and then close in on his location if they saw him. However as he followed their every move they walked past a house that looked as sturdy as the house they stayed in overnight. The door seemed to be in good shape and none of the windows were broken. Seemed like a better option than the broken down building he was hiding in. If the raiders kept walking down the road to the west they'd surely see him. He looked down and found a glass bottle so he grabbed it and tossed it as far as he could behind them.

 

When the bottle broke the raiders rapidly ran towards the sound like a pack of starving rabid mongrels after a meal. The idea was to have them go behind him and as they did he circled around the wall as quietly as he could and used the wall as cover to run straight for the other house. So far it'd worked, the raiders took the bait and he managed to slip across the wall and ran towards the house. Once he reached the doorknob he was able to turn it, thankfully it wasn't locked, and closed the door as quietly as possible. He wasted no time and took a peak out of the window to see where they were. The three of them were looking and kicking around debris and yelling, most likely out of frustration for not finding him. Jelani took the opportunity to look around for another exit but as he turned around he froze in horror. In the middle of the living room was a pile of bodies, all in different stages of decomposition, dry brownish blood staining them and the floor underneath. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands as he felt a yell creep up his throat.

 

One of the bodies, the most recent one he wagered, he recognized. It was the old beggar that would stand outside Megaton and begged people for purified water. He hadn't shown up in about a week and people often wondered if he moved to another area. There really hadn't been a need to do so. Simms and most of the residents thought he was harmless and friendly. Most people would give him water, food, clothes they no longer fit into, and the occasional caps.

 

“Faen…”

 

“Hey, boss!”

 

Jelani quickly spun around to look out the window and what he saw made his jaw quiver in horror. A fourth raider appeared from the south side and he looked as if he was dragging something. Upon closer inspection Jelani let out a whimper when he realized it was Trevor. His face had a bunch of bruises and a long deep cut across his forehead, his right eye was swollen and his left eye halfway closed. The raider dropped him on the ground as the others met up with the fourth one and actually cheered.

 

“More, eh? Anyone else?” The leader of the group asked.

 

“Eh, there were three more but they got away. This one thought he could take me on. Fuckin’ teenagers.” The man laughed and the other three raiders did as well. The leader let out a deep cackle and spun in circles as he stretched his arms out.

 

“Hey, kitten! We got your friend! You got five seconds or I blow his brains out!” The man pressed the rifle’s nuzzle on the side of Trevor’s head and looked around to see if he could spot Jelani.

 

Despite the pain Trevor lifted his head and yelled out, “Don't!”

 

Trevor’s capturer yelled at him to be quiet while simultaneously kicking him on the chin. The leader began the countdown and Jelani debated if he should give up. Raiders were not the kind of people you could trust; they frequently went back on their word and were chaotic in their actions. Even if he remained hidden and they killed Trevor they'd stop at nothing to try to find him and he wasn't sure just how much longer it would take the girls to reach Megaton. He wasn't even sure if anyone would come for him if Loke hadn't gotten back yet. He came to the realization that he and Trevor were both going to die but at least if he was with him neither of them would die alone. He thought of his brother and every sacrifice he made for him. How many nights his older brother went to bed starving so he wouldn't, how he endured injuries and sickness and saved every last stimpak they had in case Jelani got sick, how his older brother had to suddenly grow up and become a parent to a child, a child that would've lived a bit longer had he listened to him. Jelani exhaled and right before the raider reached one he opened the door and with his hands up he slowly walked over to the raiders.

 

“Alright, kitten, fun’s over.” The raider pulled the rifle away from Trevor and aimed it at Jelani. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked Jelani over from top to bottom and chuckled as he asked, “How old are you, kitten?”

 

“Twelve.”

 

“You're only a kid. What's your name?”

 

“Jørgen.” As terrified as he was years of training were driving him at that point. Loke made it clear that he should never give out his real name if he felt uncomfortable or scared when someone he didn't trust asked for his name. He suddenly remembered his father and his father frequently spoke of his younger brother, Jørgen, who’d disappeared when they were kids.

 

“Hmmm, you're just about the right age. Unfortunately for _you_ ,” The raider said as he then turned to Trevor, “You're a little too old.”

 

The raider aimed the rifle at Trevor’s face but before he could pull the trigger Jelani reached to grab his knife and stabbed the raider in the calf causing the man yell out in pain. He should've gone for the kidney, spine or liver. He knew he should have but no amount of training could have prepared him for the sudden realization that he would have had to live with the fact that he killed someone, even if it was in self-defense.

 

As a response of a flurry of emotions the man balled up his fist and punched the pre-teen across his face sending him to the ground. The raider, still seething in anger and pain grabbed Jelani by the shoulders, lifted him and shook him violently as he sputtered, “You just fucked with the wrong bull, kitten!”

 

The man then tossed Jelani a few feet forward causing Jelani to hit the ground hard. He gasped loudly as he tried to catch his breath after having the wind knocked out of him. He could hear the man approaching him and yelling at him but couldn't make out the words though he was sure he was threatening him and taunting him. He turned around to see the man holding up his bloodied blade. Now more than ever he wished he would've stayed in Megaton.

 

“Kill ‘em both!”

 

He heard the raider yell out and tried to move out of the way as he saw the man motion to stab him but as he got closer the unmistakable sound of a rifle echoed across the area. They shot Trevor and now he was going to die as well and just as the tall figure loomed over him he closed his eyes out of fear but quickly opened them when he heard a thud next to him. He looked to his side and saw the raider face down on the ground and half of his scalp blown in. The shock of the gruesome scenery beside him distracted him from seeing one of the other raiders run towards him. The man grabbed him, lifted him to his feet and aimed a rifle at his head.

 

“Drop the gun, asshole!”

 

Jelani gasped and fought back his tears as he saw Loke slowly walking towards them. Loke kept his handgun aimed at the raider holding Jelani hostage and yelled at him to let them go. He then turned to see Trevor still alive and also being held hostage by one of the other raiders. He was glad to see he was still alive and was more than relieved to see his brother but he was still scared. He knew his brother was an excellent marksman but there were three of them and he knew he wouldn't be fast enough to kill all three before they could react.

 

“I said put the fucking gun down!” The raider yelled.

 

“How ‘bout a trade? Me for them. Eulogy’s looking for my ass and I’m pretty sure he’s pissed off enough to pay plenty of caps to settle you guys over.” Loke said as he kept his weapon on them.

 

The three raiders were hesitant to comply with Loke’s proposition. Jelani was horrified; his brother was willing to trade places with him when the entire ordeal was his own fault.

 

“Nei, ikke gjør dette!” Jelani yelled in the hopes of stopping his brother.

 

“Vær stille!” Loke yelled back.

 

The raiders looked at each other unsure of what their next action should be, Jones was exactly who they were going to bring the youngest kid to as the younger they were the better they sold but Jones was also a man that held grudges as tightly as he held on to his caps and he did recently have some sort of altercation so Loke could have been telling the truth. As they debated Loke looked straight at Jelani and looked down to the ground and then back up at Jelani. The 12-year-old understood, he saw Loke drop to the ground and without question he did as well. Before the raiders holding him and Trevor could react two shots echoed across the abandoned town and the raiders fell to the ground as blood sprayed from their wounds. The remaining raider grabbed the rifle and aimed it at Loke but turned to see Jelani holding one of the rifles and aiming it at him. As Jelani aimed the rifle at him both pulled the trigger at the same time. The raider’s bullet hit Jelani on his left arm while Jelani’s bullet hit the raider in the throat. The man fell forward and hit the ground making gruesome gurgling sounds as he choked on his own blood but even more deafening was the sound of Loke screaming as he ran towards his brother.

 

The adrenaline rushing through him prevented him from feeling any pain, he probably wasn't even aware he'd been shot. The shock as he saw the man he had shot slowly choke to death on his own blood as it gushed from his mouth and nose made him freeze in place. The sounds he was making as he covered the wound with one hand and with the other reached out as if pleading reminded him of the mole rat from the previous day. The same expression of disbelief and panic shun in the raider’s eyes as he slowly died in agony, and it was his own doing. Better than the alternative for sure, better the raider than him or worse his brother but it still felt like a cold air had washed over him. In his state he failed to answer Loke who was panicking. Jelani looked at his brother and saw fear and panic in his eyes and then he noticed the blood in his hands, a lot of it. Was _he_ dying? Everything had slowed down as he looked at Loke and then at the dead raider. He knew Loke was yelling something at him but he couldn't understand what he was saying or why he was so distraught. Loke pulled on his arm and slowly a burning sensation built from inside the arm to the point where he winced and pulled it back.

 

“Let me see your arm!” Loke yelled out as he pulled on Jelani’s wounded arm.

 

Finally he understood what he was saying and finally he complied though not without complaining about the pain. Just under the sleeve a bullet hole could be seen and from it a considerable amount of blood seeped from it. In the distance he saw Simms and a woman approaching Trevor to help him to his feet. Raeni, Latoya’s mother, he said to himself as he finally recognized the woman. She looked in their direction and walked over to Loke as he broke off one of his sleeves.

 

“How is he?” Raeni asked. Jelani noticed how her facial expression intensified when she saw the blood.

 

“Bullet’s still there. We have to get back as fast as we can. How’s Trevor?”

 

“Beat up but he'll be fine.”

 

“Okay.” Loke replied absentmindedly, there was no concern or rush in his tone. Jelani gathered he was not just worried but angry as well and he knew Loke blamed Trevor for the situation. He wouldn't be wrong to do so but Jelani still felt uncomfortable, it's not like Trevor held him at gunpoint. _He_ had decided to go with them. Jelani was also to blame though he was sure his brother did blame him.

 

Loke tied the ripped off sleeve around his brother’s arm which caused Jelani to gasp in pain but Loke explained it was to keep him from bleeding any more than he already did. As soon as everyone was settled the five of them set out back to Megaton.

 

As they walked back Loke had picked up his brother and carried him but he didn't say anything. None of them did. The tense and uncomfortable silence made the walk back to Megaton seem eternal. Simms and Raeni walked behind Loke giving Jelani a full frontal view of Trevor. He was walking with his head hung low and he could occasionally hear him sniffling. At one point Trevor lifted his head and saw Jelani staring back at him, after looking at each other for a few minutes Trevor mouthed “I’m so sorry” to Jelani who only nodded and then closed his eyes as he rested his head on his brother’s shoulder.

 

After what felt like hours they finally arrived in Megaton and much to Trevor’s dismay his mother along with several residents where near the door as Loke, Raeni and Simms walked in. Trevor’s mother had her usual expressionless face displayed for all to see and Trevor wondered if she even cared that her oldest son almost died. She silently moved through the crowd and as soon as she reached him she firmly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away and headed towards Doc Church without saying a word. She didn't have to say anything; her tight grip said it all.

 

“Trevor!?” A familiar and welcome voice spoke out and Trevor pulled his arm away from his mother’s grasp and turned to see Colin running towards him. He kneeled down and both siblings hugged tightly as Colin cried and ranted about how scared he was.

 

“I know, buddy. I’m so sorry. It won't happen again.”

 

“You're damn right it won't happen again!” Their mother finally spoke up. “I want neither of you leaving this town ever again and I don't ever wanna catch you anywhere near _that_ little monster!”

 

“Ma!” Trevor objected as soon as he realized she was pointing at Jelani who was still in Loke’s arms and on his way to Doc Church.

 

“Excuse me?” Loke asked in an agitated tone. He heard the interaction between her and her two kids and saw her pointing at Jelani. The fact that she referred to him as a monster made his blood boil. Every protective instinct he possessed kicked in. Not only did this woman’s son almost get his brother killed but she had the audacity to call him a monster as if this entire ordeal had been his brother’s fault.

 

“You heard me. If it hadn't been for your kid mine wouldn't have been almost killed! This is what happens when kids raise kids!”

 

“ _My_ kid--Ma’am, my kid is always well behaved until he goes anywhere near _yours_. Everyone around here knows Trevor’s a problem except you! How about you finally deal with him so the rest of us don't have to worry about what kinda bullshit he’ll get ours into!”

 

“How dare you--”

 

“If I catch you anywhere near my brother again I’ll fucking kill you.” Loke sternly said as he turned to face Trevor. The look on Loke’s face and the urgency in his voice seemed to have successfully masked the empty threat. Yes, he was furious and scared about the entire ordeal but he wouldn't hurt a child. He only had to convince Trevor that he would.

 

Now Trevor being Trevor he wanted nothing more than to snap back at Loke but for once in his life he stopped to think things through. Even if he was to argue back he'd lose any argument, the entire idea was his and he knew that Jelani, Jade and Latoya were not allowed to leave Megaton on their own. Just because _his_ mother didn't care enough to set some ground rules for him and Colin didn't mean the other parents didn't either. As bad as it made him feel he simply lowered his head and remained quiet.

 

Once they reached Doc Church he'd taken Jelani in first, the bullet wound had bled profusely and on account of the blood loss he became a little dizzy. It'd taken a little longer than any of them anticipated but Doc Church had finally removed the bullet from Jelani’s arm. The wound had been cleaned as much as it could be and four stitches later he was sent home with strict instructions to follow if he wanted to avoid infection that could lead to amputation. Loke was given several instructions as well which he made sure Jelani was aware of. The doctor told both siblings to be back in twenty-two days to remove the stitches and then sent them on their way to attend to Trevor’s injuries.

 

Loke was still quiet, he seemed less angry but Jelani knew better. He hated seeing his brother angry and hated the fact that he was angry because of him even more. He blamed himself for being so easily manipulated by Trevor, even though he knew he was being manipulated it was just easier to blame someone else so the blame fell on Trevor for proposing such an idiotic idea in the first place. There was nothing he could do about it now except learn from it; he was sure he'd be grounded for the rest of the year and had all that time to reflect on it. Once they reached their home Loke closed the door and turned to his brother, Jelani braced himself for the lecture he was sure was coming.

 

“Go to your room.” Loke’s tone was eerily calm. “You do _not_ come out unless it's to go to the bathroom or eat. Gå. Nå.”

 

“Loki, I’m really sorry.” Jelani whispered. Apologizing was futile, he knew this, but he had to try to make sure Loke knew he was genuinely sorry and to try to cool the situation down.

 

“Sorry was fine when you let yourself get talked into doing something stupid like when you hacked the robot at the gate. Even _I_ found that one funny. Or when you disabled the bomb and made those Children of Atom freaks think it was set to blow and made everyone evacuate. _This_ was not fine. What is the one rule I beg you not to break?”

 

“Not to leave Megaton.” Jelani was near tears. He crossed his arms and lowered his head.

 

“Then why did you leave?”

 

“I don't know, I just--”

 

“Jelani, I didn't set these rules to be unfair. You _have_ to trust me on this, it's dangerous out there. You could've been killed or worse they would have _sold_ you to slavers!”

 

“Then your problems would’ve been over…” Jelani whispered mostly to himself.

 

“What?” Loke gasped horrified at what his brother had just said. He walked over to him and knelt down to see eye to eye with Jelani. He lifted his face up and saw tears running down his cheeks.

 

“I didn't mean to be more trouble than I already am.”

 

“Hey, you're not any trouble. Where the hell did you get an idea like that?”

 

“You don't have to say anything I can see it.” Jelani sniffled while turning his eyes away. “I hear you come home sometimes and you go to your room and cry. I know you'd go days without eating so I could.”

 

“That doesn't mean you're trouble, little guy. It just means we're both stuck in a shitty situation.” Loke sighed and closed his eyes. Hearing his own brother call himself trouble was not something he was prepared for. In a way he didn't even have a response for it, that because it was true but because he felt like he had failed him somehow. Everything he did was for his brother. He could’ve just as easily given up when the news that his parents were dead reached him but he had a five-year-old to take care of now and giving up also meant giving up on him. He opened his eyes again and placed his hands on Jelani’s shoulders, “I’ll be honest with you, I don't like some of the things I have to do but it means that I can take better care of you and keep a roof over our heads. We have enough caps to keep us _both_ fed and relatively safe unless you actually activate that nuke.”

 

“I won't.” Jelani looked back at his brother and laughed while pressing his forehead against his.

 

“You're not trouble at all. Not to me. If anything you're the only reason why I’m still here...without you I’d have nothing left.” Loke hugged him tightly and smiled as his brother returned the hug.

 

“Okay. Love you.”

 

“I love you too. Now go clean up while I make lunch.”

 

“You're still grounded though.”

 

Jelani sighed deeply as he let his arms fall to his side and in a monotone voice let out a groan. “Fine.”


End file.
